Fighting Fire With Fire
by Twilily
Summary: Merlin is a new rookie at one of the best fire stations in the city. Arthur is assigned to take him under his wing and a friendship blooms. But, will friendship be all it is? Can they keep their feelings separate while on the job and what happens when they are off duty? Eventual Arthur/Merlin pairing. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

_Merlin is a new rookie at one of the best fire stations in the city. Arthur is assigned to take him under his wing and a friendship blooms. But, will friendship be all it is? Featuring: Merlin, Arthur, Gwaine, Lance, Leon, Percy, Elyan, Gwen, Morgana, Uther, Gaius, Hunith, Balinor...and more I'm sure._

_Note to the readers...this will be an eventual Merlin/Arthur pairing, so just giving you full disclosure now. They will be intimate and that's that. It won't happen in the first few chapters, but it will down the road._

_Disclaimer: I don't own MERLIN (sad, but true)._

* * *

"Pendragon, get in here!"

Arthur sighed. Slow days happened from time to time and while he loved his job, the downtime was something you savored. He had been catching up on some reading and didn't appreciate the interruption. Granted, had the alarm sounded, he would have dropped everything in a heartbeat. But when the Station Captain calls you into his office, you aren't necessarily keen on finding out the reason. Knowing it would be worse if he were to delay, Arthur leapt up from his seat on the couch and hightailed it into the Captain's office.

"Yes, sir?" he said from the doorway.

"Take a seat," the Captain said, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk, never looking up from the file in his other hand.

Arthur sat in silence and waited for the reason he was called in.

"We're getting a new rookie," said the Captain. "He's actually coming on recommendation from Gaius over at headquarters. According to him, he's one of the finest EMTs he's trained in a long time and he's sending him to us. George can't handle all of the calls now that Ben's transferred out."

"OK?" Arthur pushed, wondering what this had to do with him.

"You're going to show him the ropes. He's your responsibility."

"But sir, why me? I'm on the Ladder Company and this guy would be with Engine. We'd really never work together. Wouldn't Leon be better?"

"Arthur, this is your assignment. If you want to be Station Captain one day, you have to understand every aspect of this company. You can't do that if you by being one sided. Just show how him how we do things here, go through the protocols and work with him out on alarms."

"But…"

"No buts Arthur. You will work with him. Got it?"

Arthur huffed a little. He didn't want to be a babysitter.

"Yes, sir."

"Good. He'll be here tomorrow. Study up on him. I expect nothing but the best from you, understand?"

"Yes, father."

With a nod of his head, the Captain dismissed him after handing over the personnel file. Arthur looked at the documents with distain. He'd be getting back to reading, just not to the text he would prefer. He slowly headed out of the office and back down to the common area.

Slumping back onto the couch, he laid the file in his lap and stared it down, willing it to burn into flames. He had no ill will towards this Merlin Emrys, as the name on the file read, but why him? He loved the other guys in his company. They were like brothers. But a new guy, busting in on that…he'd have to earn his place. Arthur had seen other newbies come and go from other stations, but not theirs. They had been a full fledge team for quite some time. They were a family. They hadn't had a vacancy for years, until Ben had to go and get himself transferred out to be closer to his girlfriend. Breaking this new guy in would suck.

"Whatcha got there, Arthur?" He heard Leon's voice breakthrough his melancholy stare. He hadn't heard the boys return from the grocery store, but there they were with bags in their hand.

Arthur smiled at them as he tucked the file under his arm and got up to help the guys. Everyone pulled their weight in the station. He had stayed behind from this shopping trip because he'd been on the last three. But just because he didn't go, didn't mean he didn't help when they got back.

Leon and Gwaine seemed to have everything under control, but Elyan was struggling a bit from the weight of whatever he was carrying. Upon closer inspection, Arthur noticed the boys had given him every canned good they purchased, which was a lot when you had to stock up. He swooped in to snatch two of the heaving bags from Elyan's swelling fingers and lightened his load immensely, earning a grateful puff of air from his friend.

"A present for me, Princess? You shouldn't have!" Gwaine ripped the file folder out from under his arm while he had his hands full.

"Hey, give that back!" Arthur yelled from the kitchen to put down the bags and headed back into the common area, where Gwaine had retreated.

"Why? What is it?" Gwaine asked tauntingly as he waved the file over his head.

Arthur sighed, again. He'd been doing that a lot in the last half hour.

"The Captain wants me to look after the new rookie coming in tomorrow. Show him around, etcetera." He dismissed the idea as he still wasn't looking forward to it. He was hoping that if he lacked the interest, the boys would also and thus, give him back the file.

"A rookie?" Leon had been on Arthur's heels upon leaving the kitchen and was questioning the whole idea as Arthur had when he had first been given the assignment.

"Really? We're getting a newbie?" Elyan was the most interested in the news. It wasn't surprising. He was the newest member of the crew, even though he'd been with them for over two years. He had always thought he would remain the 'rookie' in the rest of the stations' eyes _forever_.

"Why?" Leon wasn't going to drop it.

"Look, we need a replacement for Ben. George is struggling as it is. I just know that Gaius is sending in this EMT to us specifically. I haven't even looked at his specs yet." Arthur just willed the subject to be closed so they could go about their evening. Leon and Elyan would be off shift starting tomorrow, with Lance and Percy coming on. Gwaine and Arthur were to remain for the next two days before transitioning off shift. He liked the time with his boys, so he knew this interruption would cut into anytime they guys had between calls tonight.

Gwaine released a low whistle. He looked back at Gwaine to see he had opened the file. Arthur glowered at him a little. He shouldn't be looking at that, especially not before he, who had been _assigned_, did. Gwaine meant well, but was always sticking his nose into places where it didn't belong. It's usually the reason he was pulling him away from the occasional (or attempted) bar fight.

"Arthur, this is the new EMT?" Gwaine just starred at the file in question, as if deciding whether or not to believe what was held inside.

"Yeah, why?" Arthur asked, nonchalantly.

"You best keep your hands to yourself, mate. This one's a _looker_." Gwaine still focused on the contents while Arthur snorted a little in laughter.

Gwaine's taste in partners (either male or female) were usually fueled by alcohol while off-duty and just pure testosterone while on-duty…so the other guys typically questioned his judgment. That didn't stop him from pushing people onto Arthur as often as he could.

The boys loved to tease him about his nonexistent love life. They had all tried to set him up with both men and women at one point or another, but none of them kept his interest long. Arthur had honestly reserved himself for living a bachelor's life even though he was barely thirty. He just didn't see himself in a committed relationship and he was ok with that.

"Doubtful," he said, under his breath, as he peered over Gwaine's shoulder.

The file held a photograph of this Merlin and Arthur would be lying if his breath didn't hitch slightly. Even though it was only a shot from the mid-chest and up, he yearned to see Merlin in person. He could tell from the navy t-shirt that stretched across the chest, that Merlin was slim, but not skinny. He was lean but with definition and broad shoulders. His face was angular, which made his slightly oversized ears stick out that much more, in an adorable way. The smile on his face emphasized the sharp definition in his cheekbones, which only drew Arthur's attention to the set of blue eyes hiding beneath a messy mop of dark hair that looked to be about one week past a needed haircut.

In all honestly, Merlin was gorgeous.

_Shit_. Merlin Emrys was _exactly_ his type. This wasn't going to be good.

All of the guys turned in for the night, but Arthur stayed up half the night poring over Merlin's file. He memorized every detail about him that his brain could take. He told himself it was so he could be prepared upon their first meeting: to make sure he knew everything about the rookie in order to know his strengths and weaknesses. He needed to know his tests scores and his training assessments. He probably didn't need to know the exact color of his eyes or the way his smile lit up his entire face, but he found himself studying Merlin's picture almost as much as the other documentation found in the manila folder.

The only reason he stopped was the 12:47am alarm that sounded and pulled him away from his studying. It wasn't a serious call (they didn't even need to unwind the hoses) but when they arrived back to the station around 2:13am, he was beat and finally allowed himself to get some shuteye.

The sun made its appearance too early for Arthur's liking, but it still wooed him out of bed. One of the hazards of being a fireman was the lack of a steady sleep schedule, but Arthur had learned, along with the rest, that you slept when you could and that became enough. After a quick shower, he changed and headed downstairs to greet the guys. Percy and Lance were already in the kitchen drinking coffee with Leon at the stove. Elyan was out mowing the lawn having drawn the short straw this week and Gwaine had just started to move upstairs as Arthur had come down.

He checked the clock and saw that it was 8:10am. Shift changeover began at 8:00am and would complete at 10:00am with Elyan and Leon departing. Merlin was scheduled to arrive at 9:00am, so the entire team could meet. Arthur had fifty minutes eat breakfast and more importantly, keep it down. Meeting Merlin had him a bit on edge.

"Coffee, Arthur?" Lance asked as he refilled his own mug.

"Please," Arthur acknowledged.

Percy turned around and pulled a new mug from the cabinet behind him and tossed it to Lance, who in turn, caught it and filled it with the dark liquid. Arthur had gone to the refrigerator to get the milk, leaving the door open as he met Lance half way.

"Princess, did you grow up in a barn? Shut the damn door." Gwaine had made his surly morning presence known with a slam of the refrigerator door.

"Why should it, when you do such an excellent job yourself," Arthur said, smugly. He had just left it open for a minute and was going to return the milk to its proper place after being used. Gwaine had just beaten him to it. He ended up leaving the milk out anyway, since he knew Gwaine would need some for his morning jolt of caffeine. He could put it away later.

Percy tossed another mug to Lance before proceeding to speak for the first time in the morning.

"So…Leon was just telling us about the new guy coming in today. What gives?"

Arthur shrugged, trying to not to give anything away. According to his file, Merlin was going to be a great asset to the station and they would benefit greatly from having him on board. It meant not having to call additional EMTs out when the alarm rang because one would be on-site automatically. Additional units could be called in if needed. He approved of the newest addition and he hadn't even met the guy. He just had a gut feeling about him.

"Gaius felt we could use him on the team. I looked over his stats last night and I think he'll be good. He was the top of his class, has high test scores both on paper and out in the field. I'm sure he'll fit in just fine."

"I bet he'll fit…_in_…" Gwaine murmured from behind his coffee cup.

"_Gwaine!_"

Now he'd done it…

The Captain walked into the kitchen and men all stood just a bit taller. It wasn't like they were going to salute him or anything, but it was the respect the position demanded. They would each do anything for their Captain.

"Gentlemen, Mr. Emrys is coming to us with the highest recommendation from headquarters. I expect you treat him with respect and you each show him around. Arthur will take point, but you will all need to step up and show him how we do things here. You represent the best of the best in the station. Make me proud."

He grabbed a bit of potato from the pan on the stove and headed towards the hallway, before halting his steps and leaning back into the room.

"Oh…and don't haze Merlin _too much_." And with a wink, the Captain was out the door again, without a return appearance.

The guys all chuckled as they relaxed their posture. Arthur headed over to the stove to steal a potato, like his father had only moments before, but Leon slapped his hand away. He only pouted in return, until Leon dished some hash onto a plate for Arthur, sending him on his way.

The guys sat around the round table in the kitchen, talking back and forth to each other between bites of food. Lance and Percy talked about what each of them had done on their days off, while Leon and Elyan chatted about what they were going to do. Arthur had lost track of time when they heard the buzzer.

_He's here._

Arthur looked to each of the men at the table and could see their eyes widen too. They knew that Merlin was at the door. They all scrambled up and Arthur tried to block them out in the door jam.

"Hey! You all stay here and clean up!"

Arthur heard the whines of protest and scoffed at them. They all turned back to the table. All but one. Gwaine had managed to squeeze past him and sprinted to the door. Arthur whipped around and followed him closely, arriving at the door as Gwaine opened it.

His view was blocked. The jackass in front of him took up as much space as he could, preventing him from seeing who was on the other side of the door.

_Not that he didn't already know…but he wanted to see for himself._

"Oh, hello," said a chipper voice from in front of Gwaine. "I'm looking for an Arthur Pendragon?"

Arthur's chest puffed up a bit being asked for by name.

"You don't need Arthur. I can show you around, if you'd like."

He was sure Gwaine could hear Arthur roll his eyes behind him.

"And you are…" the voice was interrupted by Gwaine's yelp as Arthur gave him a quick jab to the ribs.

"A pain in the arse," Arthur said as he finished the punch. Gwaine curse quickly and stepped off to the side of the door frame to let Arthur through.

"There you are, Princess. Someone here to see you." Gwaine held his side while both laughing and grimacing from pain.

Arthur finally got the full view of Merlin. He was basically tall, dark and handsome, with a backpack on his back and a duffle slung over his shoulder. A similar navy t-shirt from the photograph graced his lean frame and was tucked into a pair of navy pants head up with a black belt that fit his slim legs nicely and he had a well worn pair of black work boots on his feet.

"Sorry about _that_," he said as he threw daggers with his eyes at Gwaine. "I'm Arthur." He reached his hand forward.

"Hh-hi." Merlin visibly swallowed and stuck out his hand to accept the handshake. "I'm Merlin. Merlin Emrys."

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_Thoughts? I have an idea of where this story will go, but I'm happy to hear your opinions, suggestions or prompts. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter two! This is Merlin's preparation into the new job. Hope you like it!_

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own MERLIN._

* * *

Merlin just stared at the piece of paper in his hands.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yes, Merlin. You start tomorrow." Gaius was looking through his own paperwork while the young man on the other side of his desk sat virtually unmoving.

"But do you really think I'm ready?" The nervousness couldn't be hidden from Merlin's voice, no matter how hard he tried. He felt as if he'd been training for this day for what seemed like forever and now that it was finally here, he wasn't sure he was actually cut out for the task at hand.

"I wouldn't have recommended you if I didn't believe it wholeheartedly."

"This is really happening," Merlin said in a breathless whisper, as if only to himself.

"Congratulations," Gaius gave with a smile and a nod of his head.

He had taken Merlin under his wing the minute he began his training. He'd known him for years prior to that, as friend of his father, but once Merlin stepped into his domain, he kept a watchful eye on him. He truly was a gifted individual and Gaius wanted to nurture that, helping him become the best he could be. Sure, he had moments of aloofness where Gaius would reach out and smack him on the back of the head to snap him out it, but overall, he was focus and driven. The aloofness was quite endearing.

"I'm going to be an EMT."

"Merlin, you _are_ an EMT. The only difference is that now you have your placement. That's all. You've done all the work, all of the training. Now is the time to put it to use. Have faith in your abilities and you'll be just fine."

A boyish grin swept over Merlin's face and Gaius was pleased. He knew Merlin had the ability, but he was sometimes filled with self-doubt. This opportunity for Merlin would be extremely beneficial.

Merlin was a bit of a loner and working in a station was one of the best ways to get him to open up. He'd interacted with his classmates just fine, but still stayed too independent, as if not wanting to get close to anyone. The camaraderie of the guys in his new unit would hopefully pull him from his shell. They had to be a team, a family, and Merlin, being an only child, never really experienced that.

"I've spoken with the Station Captain, Uther Pendragon, and he looks forward to having you on board. His son, Arthur Pendragon, is to be your point of contact when you arrive on site in the morning. All other details are with your orders. Got it?"

Merlin nodded, unable to speak.

"Now…go off and tell your mother. I know you are dying to and I have no doubt she will be thrilled for you." Standing up, Gaius reached over the desk to shake Merlin's hand.

"Thank you, Gaius, for everything. You won't regret this. I will make you proud." Merlin found his voice again as he stood to his full height, grasping his mentor's outstretched hand tightly.

"You've already make me proud. Just go off and show them what you are capable of."

After a quick hug across the desk, Merlin practically sprinted out the door. The older gentleman couldn't help but chuckle as he sat back at his desk to focus on the remaining paperwork.

Once out in the sun, Merlin sighed. He couldn't believe it. Feeling his life was really beginning, he added an extra bounce to his gait. It couldn't be helped. His shoulders were back and his head held high. He would make Gaius proud. He had been his mentor and virtually like a father to him these last few years. When his own father, Balinor, died years back on the job, Gaius was the one who came to comfort him and his mother. Now was his chance to repay him for his kindness and guidance.

His mother would be ecstatic. Grabbing the phone out of his pocket, he started to walk down the street and dialed her number.

"_Hello?_"

"Hi mum."

"_Merlin! How are you, sweetheart_?"

"I'm good. I'm great, in fact. I have some news for you." He couldn't keep the smile off his face. He thought he might burst.

"_Well, I'm all ears."_

"I've got my papers! Gaius just gave me my orders and I join up with a firehouse tomorrow!"

"_Son, I'm so proud of you! This is just wonderful!"_ Merlin could hear the pride in her voice and it made his smile stretch even wider across his face.

"I'm nervous but excited at the same time, mum. It's finally happening."

"_Oh, Merlin. Your father would be so pleased to hear this and I know he will be with you tomorrow."_

"I know…" He missed his father and he knew his mum thought about him often.

"_Listen, I don't want to keep you as I'm sure you've got better things to do_," his mom said to pull him from his reverie. "_But stop by tonight. I cook your favorite in honor of this achievement! Bring Gwen and Will along too if they are available, alright?"_

"That sounds great and I'll see if they are free."

"_I love you, Merlin. I'll see you tonight and congratulations again!_"

"Thanks mum and I love you too."

He heard her give him a kiss over the phone and shook his head as he hung up. When he had gotten his first mobile phone, a ridiculous number of years ago, she had taken to giving him 'phone kisses' as if he was right there with her. And as silly as they were, he adored her even more for them. He could easily say he was a momma's boy and he didn't mind it.

He finally reached his car and headed for his flat, hoping Gwen would be home. He had run out early this morning and didn't catch her schedule. Besides his mother, Gwen was the next person he wanted to tell. Well, her and Will of course, but he knew wouldn't get a hold of Will for the next few hours. Luxury and curse of a standard nine to five job. He'd send him a text and wait for a response.

Merlin and Gwen had been living together for nearly two years. They had met in college in a biology class and remained friends ever since. So, when graduation loomed over them and the realization that they would have to start being real adults and paying rent, they decided it would be easier to go in on a place together for financial and emotional support.

These days their schedules didn't line up so much anymore, but they still tried to have dinner and/or a night together at least once a week.

Will had been Merlin's friend since they could walk. Their families lived next door to each for years and both of their mother's still did. Like Merlin, Will's father had passed away a few years ago, but due to health reasons. Along with having a steady job, Will also had a steady girlfriend, Freya. Merlin knew it was serious and never tried to have Will pick him over her. He was happy for the two of them and was waiting for the inevitable proposal. Merlin stayed in contact with Will via text and email more than anything these days, but they got together once or twice a month if they could manage.

Luckily he found a parking spot on the street right in front of the door to his building. Quickly getting out and locking the door, he jogged into the building, unable to contain his excitement. He and Gwen lived on the fifth floor, so when he stepped onto the lift, he stabbed the button labeled 5 and waited for the doors to close.

Merlin couldn't help but think about what tomorrow would bring. He hoped he would like the other guys who worked at the station. He didn't want to make a poor impression. He wanted to do his best, for Gaius, for his father…for himself. This was a big step toward a rewarding career.

The lift doors opened and he practically skipped down the hall while trying to separate the apartment key from his mother's house key, the mail key and car key.

"Gwen?" he yelled out into the apartment as he opened and shut the door.

"Merlin! Oh my goodness…what's wrong?!" Gwen's peered out from the kitchen with a questioning look on her face.

"Who said anything was wrong?" Merlin still had the smile plastered to his face, which I'm sure confused the crap out of her.

"You…didn't. I mean…why would you be home? It's the middle of the day. I didn't mean…oh whatever. What's going on?"

Merlin just laughed at the slightly embarrassed look on her face. It made her utterly adorable. He walked right up to her and wrapped her in his arms.

"Ok, Merlin…now you're scaring me." Gwen mumbled into his chest.

He pulled back and held her in place with a hand on each shoulder looking directly into her eyes.

"I got my assignment for my station today. I start tomorrow!"

Her scream resonated through the flat and Merlin released her from his grasp to clamp his hands over his eyes.

"Geez, Gwen. I don't think the rest of the building heard you!" The ringing in his ears was extremely noticeable.

"I can't help it. You've talked about this for _years!_ Merlin, this is AMAZING! Ok, we have to celebrate."

"Well, Mum has asked to make me dinner and wants you and Will to come along. You in?"

"And miss your mum's cooking? Please! You know I'm in. And maybe we can grab a drink afterwards."

"Ok…one drink. I think it might be good for my nerves…but I'm not going on an all night bender with you. Big day tomorrow and all," he said with a wink.

"Oh, right! Big day. BIG DAY! Only one drink…we can do that."

Gwen just stared into his eyes as if she wanted to cry. She resumed her previous position in his arms and hugged him tightly.

"Congratulations honey. This is amazing news and you are going to be incredible."

"Thanks Gwen."

OoOoOoO

Dinner with his mum was delicious, as always. She made his favorite roast chicken with potatoes and a salad and Merlin cleaned his plate…twice. He laughed all night and had a relaxing evening with his two favorite ladies as Will already had a work dinner that he was taking Freya to. He had been apologetic but promised a guy's night in the next week or two based on Merlin's new work schedule.

Merlin and Gwen said goodnight to his mother and headed back to their flat to drop off the car. Once parked, they walked down the block to the local pub. As promised, they only had one drink, much to the dismay of the bartender, Jonathan. Merlin and Gwen came in enough to be considered 'regulars' of sorts, so he too had been proud of Merlin and his new job. Wanting them to stay, he tried to offer them a drink on the house. The two roommates didn't bite, but promised they'd be back soon to properly celebrate.

"I think someone likes you..." Gwen teased as she locked arms with Merlin on their way back to their flat.

Merlin knew she meant Jonathan. They had always casually flirted, but he really wasn't that interested. They were friendly, but not 'friendly' and he was perfectly ok with that.

"Gwen, you know I only have eyes for you."

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight," she said as she rolled her eyes. "Who knows, maybe you'll meet someone tomorrow."

"Now it's my turn…riiiiiiiight."

The two laughed the rest of the way home.

OoOoOoO

Merlin didn't sleep well. It felt like Christmas and he couldn't shut his brain down. He was anxious to start his new job and the worrying about whether or not he could do it would come later. Right now, he just focused on the opportunity and the idea that Gaius thought he was ready. That would be enough for now.

When his alarm went off, he leapt out of bed ready to start the day. Having a quick shower, he dressed in his 'uniform' that he had laid out the night before. He was used to the amount of navy he had to put on every day. He didn't know if that would change in this new house or not.

Gwen had some tea and toast ready for him when he reached the kitchen.

"You ready?" she asked as she handing him his mug.

"As I'll ever be."

Double checking the address, he set out. The station was only a fifteen minute drive from the flat, which made him extremely happy. He knew there would be days when he would be getting off of his shift utterly exhausted and the idea that he wouldn't have to drive far was a huge incentive.

Pulling into the parking lot, he sat in his car going over everything. He double checked that his medical bag was in his duffle. He had books and notebooks to pass the time and take notes. He had his clothes for the next few days. Lastly, he pulled out his orders.

_Arthur Pendragon_. That was who he was supposed to find. Getting out of the car, he pulled his two bags out and headed for the door.

He pressed the buzzer and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Merlin thought he heard noise on the other side of the door, but he refocused on his piece of paper of instructions. The door whipped open and a well built yet scruffy brunette opened the door.

"Oh, hello," Merlin winced slightly at the perkiness in his voice and tried to calm it down. "I'm looking for an Arthur Pendragon?"

The brunette smirked and shifted in the doorway. His dark hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"You don't need Arthur. I can show you around, if you'd like."

It was Merlin's turn to smirk. He didn't know what he was trying to do, but Merlin was amused. Granted, he would prefer to have this conversation inside so he could drop his bags. But he decided to play along.

"And you are…" he began but was cut off by the brunette's grunt of pain.

"A pain in the arse," said another voice, as if to finish Merlin's sentence.

"There you are, Princess. Someone here to see you." The brunette said, still holding his side, and moved out of the way.

Merlin watched as a second man walked into view and he felt his mouth go dry. Standing in front of him was a tall blond, similarly built as the brunette who opened the door. This guy was well put together, compared to the rugged-unkempt look of the previous man. His black shirt was tucked into his black pants and Merlin knew he was all muscle by the way he held himself. He was unconsciously looking this guy up and down, finally snapping out of it when the blond spoke again.

"Sorry about _that_," the blonde shrugged his head towards the brunette. "I'm Arthur." He reached his hand forward.

_Holy Adonis. _

"Hh-hi. I'm Merlin. Merlin Emrys." He reached out and grasped Arthur's hand and felt the jolt of electricity go up his arm.

He was so _screwed_.

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_I'd love to hear what you think about this chapter or the story as a whole. Please review, give comments and/or suggestions, etc!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry folks. Work stunk the last week, so I've only been able write here and there. But, this chapter is finally done and the next is already started._

_DISCLAIMER: I know very little about the fire departments in both the US and UK. I'm going on movies, television and internet research, not firsthand experience, so there is a mixture of information I've garnered from each side of the pond. Be gentle and forgiving as I'm just writing a story. Oh…and I don't own MERLIN. Drat!_

* * *

The jolt that each man felt when their two hands touched was instantaneous. Arthur did his best not to let it show and Merlin shuttered slightly but recovered just as quickly. The two stood there, hands still clasped together when Merlin finally came to his senses.

"Um, can I have my hand back?" he asked gently, not really wanting it to happen. He felt comforted by the blonde's touch but knew it was probably inappropriate to stay latched on when he barely knew his name.

"What? Oh, of course." Arthur dropped his hand quickly and regretted it. The feel of Merlin's hand in his was foreign, yet familiar all at the same time. "Sorry about that." He was a bit like a fish out of water. He never was at a loss for words and right now he didn't know what to say to the raven-haired boy in front of him.

So they just stood there, watching each other. It was Merlin, again, who recovered and responded first.

"May I…" he started to say, gesturing to the doorway. Arthur cut him off, catching on quickly.

"Yes, come in." Arthur pulled to one side as he pushed the door open the rest of the way, allowing Merlin to step through.

Merlin took in his new surroundings. He was in a large common room that was full of light from the multiple windows along the front wall on either side of the door he had just come through. Couches and easy chairs were on either side, a sign that multiple people could be in this room at one time and everyone would be comfortable. He saw a set of stairs to his right along the far wall and a hallway just beyond it. Towards the back wall on his left, he could see a door leading into the kitchen.

While Merlin was taking in the room, Arthur was taking in Merlin. He could see the lean definition in his arms and shoulders as he passed. At first glance, he knew he was lean, but now upon closer inspection, he was clearly in good shape, but had more of a runner's or swimmer's body, instead of being bulkier from heavy lifting. It made sense given his training. He didn't need to carry hoses or ladders, but he needed to be quick and agile to administer aid to a victim. Arthur could only assume that Merlin's lean but strong muscles continued under all of the navy clothing he wore…

Arthur shook his thoughts away and tried to gather himself. He should not be thinking about that. Time to get down to business.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Merlin. Welcome to Station 5 of London's Fire Brigade, or, what we here affectionately refer to it as, Camelot: the crème de la crème. I read in your file that you are joining us as an EMT."

"Yes, sir." Merlin switched into his training mode, prepared to answer any questions asked of him and show utmost respect to his superiors.

"And you are coming highly recommended by Gaius Wilson, which is indeed very impressive."

"Thank you, sir," Merlin said as he blushed. He'd never been great at accepting compliments and for some reason, Arthur's comments meant more to him than anyone else's ever did. He tried to keep his composure.

They stood there just staring at each other, until Gwaine cleared his throat loudly.

"Ah, sorry. This fool here," pointing to the brunette, "is Gwaine Macken."

"Good to meet you, Merlin." Gwaine took Merlin's hand in a firm handshake with a large grin as a couple strands of hair came loose from being pulled back and fell forward into his eye.

"Likewise." Merlin couldn't help but smile back. He had genuinely gotten a good vibe from him just from their banter at the door before he had been pushed away by Arthur. He had a feeling they would become good friends, or at least, friendly co-workers.

It was Arthur's turn to clear his throat. He knew there was a bit of a grimace on his face and he tried to wipe it away before Merlin could see it. He trusted Gwaine with his life, but the look he was giving Merlin and Merlin's back at Gwaine were putting him on edge. She shook the thought from his mind.

"Now let's have you meet the rest of the guys here." Arthur gestured around the room and it was then that Merlin noticed that they now had an audience.

He soon discovered that the tall, scruffy redhead was Leon. Percival, or Percy for short, was the Herculean figure with cropped hair in the corner. Lance was the quiet brunette who had a complexion just shy of olive tone and Elyan, who looked familiar though he couldn't figure out why, was the shorter ebony man with the friendly smile.

"Alright. Now that you know everyone, let's take a tour, shall we?" Arthur began walking away when Merlin spoke up.

"Do you mind if I put my bags down?"

Arthur stopped and looked around the room at the other men and smirked before returning his gaze to Merlin.

"What? Can't carry your weight around here Emrys?"

Merlin was taken aback. He had just arrived and was asking a simple question that related in no way whatsoever about his ability. He just didn't want to lug his bags around the whole station.

"No…I mean, yes, of course I can…but that's not…" Merlin began but Arthur continued over him. Merlin watched as the blonde's chest puffed out and shoulders drew back. He thought Arthur looked like a proud peacock…and it wasn't attractive.

"Every man in this unit carries his weight and sometimes the weight of the man next to him. We are a single unit and one weak link could mean failure to us when out on a call."

"I can and will… it's just…" A frustrated Merlin was cut off yet again as he shifted the bags more securely onto his shoulders.

"And if you can't carry your weight, this is going to be a problem. We don't just _deal_ with problems in this station; we eliminate them, don't we guys?"

Murmers of 'yes' came from around the room. Merlin had had enough. He raised his voice to try to get Arthur to stop being a prat.

"If you would just listen to…"

"So, are you going to be a problem, Emrys?"

Merlin was going to snap. Who did this Arthur think he was: King of all Fire Brigades? It was frustrating the hell out of him because no one seemed to be listening to him. He took a breath, closing his eyes, determined not to screw this up, but he knew he couldn't be held responsible in his current state. It was only the first day and he would get passed this.

When Merlin opened his eyes back up, Arthur could see a flash of something pass across the crystal blue orbs. He didn't know if it was determination, frustration, anger or what, but he knew he had gotten to him. Internally, he was doing a happy dance, but he did feel bad. Hazing was a part of the process, the tradition with new recruits, but with Merlin it felt different.

"Not at all, your _highness_." Merlin spat out as he gave a slight bow, the bags still digging into his flesh. Arthur blinked, not prepared for that answer.

"Your highness, huh? I could get used to that, you know?" He turned back to face the other men. "What do you think, gents? Your highness?"

They all scoffed and laughed while Gwaine picked up a pillow from the couch and hit Arthur in the back with it. Merlin would not be deterred. He would push back. He was a fighter.

"But _sire_," he said, interrupting the men's laughter. "You should already be used to that title. Gwaine here said you were a _Princess_. I figured it was common knowledge. But what does that make them?" He asked, pointing to the guys he was just introduced to, "Your ladies in waiting?"

The burn was felt by the guys across the room, yelling out 'ooh' and 'hey' in response. Arthur just laughed. Merlin had guts, he could admit that. He felt proud and he barely knew the man.

"Do you come by being an idiot naturally or did you get special training at the academy?" Arthur stepped closer and watched as Merlin's eyes widened before narrowing slightly and the smirk remained in place. Merlin countered with his own step and thrust his final verbal jab.

"They must have stopped offering those classes after you left...when there was no longer a need for them. I'm sure you could teach me a thing or two, if you'd like, your royal pratness."

Silence.

The two men were eye to eye now, their bodies' mear inches from each other. The tension was thick yet both were smiling at each other. That was when Gwaine spoke up.

"Oh, I _like_ him. Can we keep him?"

"Shut up, Gwaine," Arthur and Merlin turned and called out at the same time.

Both guys raised an eyebrow towards each other, shocked that they had responded at the same time and in the same manner. Lance chuckled in the background while Percy and Elyan looked at each other. Leon took a single step forward not knowing whether or not to intervene.

"Come _on!_ We have to keep him now!" Gwaine shouted exasperatedly.

There was a glint in Arthur's eye and Merlin knew it was make or break time. Did he pass or not?

"Yes, we'll keep him." Arthur said simply.

Merlin let out the breath he'd been holding.

"You certainly can hold your own, Emrys. Well done. You'll fit right in here." Arthur helped take one of the bags from Merlin's shoulder while Leon came up and took the other from him, giving him a hearty pat on the back. Rolling his shoulders to loosen them, Merlin turned back to Arthur.

"Thank you, sir."

"Just Arthur. The only person who you should call Sir is the Captain, who I'll take you to meet right now."

The rest of the guys took turns coming up to Merlin and welcoming him to the team officially as he and Arthur made their way down the hallways just passed the stairs.

"Ladies in waiting, huh? That was a nice one."

"Thanks, sir. I mean…" Merlin began to correct himself, realizing his mistake after he had said it.

"Merlin," Arthur turned in the hallway to face the dark-haired boy. "What did I say about the 'sir' comment?"

Before Merlin could answer back, Arthur locked his arm around his neck, pulled him tightly into his chest and used his knuckles to give him a noogie.

"Oi!" Merlin tried to push back from his chest and faltered slightly at the chiseled features he could feel under Arthur's t-shirt.

The two continued to struggle against each other when a voice sounded from the end of the hall.

"Gentlemen! Enough roughhousing out there!"

Arthur immediately released Merlin's neck and the two straightened up very quickly. Arthur looked back to Merlin, slightly apologetic, as they both caught their breath. Merlin's pale skin was flushed pink from the exertion and Arthur couldn't help but stare at his features up close. Merlin took notice and smiled, blushing a little under the flush, and knocked his shoulder into Arthur's.

He began to attack his hair that had been mussed up in the scuffle and tried to flatten it down. He was honestly making it worse when Arthur pushed his hand away, having a better view of the mess, and ran his own fingers through the jet-black hair.

Merlin's eyes closed, reveling in the feeling of Arthur's fingers along his scalp, but quickly popped them back open when he realized he was about to released a moan of contentment. Almost as soon as he began, Arthur stopped.

_Not good,_ Arthur thought to himself. He had never felt anything as soft as Merlin's hair and he wanted to do it again.

"You'll do," he said as he led Merlin the rest of the way down the hall to the open door at the end.

With a rap on the door frame, Arthur entered the room with Merlin on his tail.

"Captain, this Merlin Emrys. Merlin, Captain Uther Pendragon."

The two shook hands and Uther gestured for the younger man to sit in the chair in front of the desk. With a nod to Arthur, the Captain sat back in his seat.

"I'll be just outside. See you shortly." And the blonde left the room, closing the door behind him.

Merlin turned back to the Captain. Uther Pendragon was an older gentleman who had seen his share of emergency calls. He was weathered but appeared strong and was in command. He seemed like the person you would turn to in a crisis because he'd seen it all.

"So, Emrys…welcome."

"Thank you, sir." Merlin slipped back into training mode and showed the man the respect he deserved.

"Your reputation precedes you: Gaius has nothing but wonderful things to say about you and your future here with us." Uther clasped his hands together in front of him and watched Merlin intently, as if to challenge the decision.

"It's very kind of him to say so. He's been an excellent mentor."

"Gaius and I go way back so I knew I could trust his judgment when he recommended you. And your father and I were at the academy together. He was one of the bravest men I've had the pleasure to have known." As he sat back in his seat, Merlin could see the honesty in the Captain's face.

"Thank you. He was a major influence for going into this field."

"He would be proud to know you are following in his footsteps."

"Yes, I think so." Merlin swallowed the small lump that had formed in his throat at Uther's words.

"Well, we work hard here and everyone does their part. These men are the best of the best. I want the best from you because the people we serve deserve the best. Can you deliver what I'm asking for?" The clasped hands made an appearance on the desk once more as the Captain leaned in.

"Absolutely, sir." Merlin was confident. This was his future.

"Very well." The Captain stood and reached his hand across the desk to shake Merlin's hand once more. "Welcome to the team. Arthur will continue to show you the ropes until you get the hang of it here. Make me proud."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir."

And like that, Merlin's introduction to the Captain was over. He wrenched the door open to find Arthur leaning on the opposite wall, arms crossed, looking less like a fireman and more like a model. Shaking the thoughts from his head, he moved passed Arthur and continued back down the hallway into the main room.

"So, how'd it go?" Arthur asked, quickly catching up to him.

"What? You weren't listening?" Merlin teased.

"You barely know me and already think so little of me. That's harsh."

Arthur in fact had tried to listen in, but the noise from the rest of the station had drowned out the conversation.

"Yeah, I'm sure you're really broken up by it." Merlin couldn't help the laugh that came out when he said that. The two had just entered the common room when Gwaine yelled out.

"Hey, Merlin! Your phone was going off in your bag, so we pulled it out to silence it." Gwaine picked up said phone from the side table next to his bags and handed it back to Merlin.

"Oh, thanks. Sorry about that." Quickly putting it back in his pocket, he made a mental note to always silence it before coming in for a shift.

"No worries, mate. Besides, got a look at the hottie calling you. Way to go man!"

"Huh? What hottie?" Merlin pulled his phone back out, wondering who Gwaine was talking about. He only had a few pictures in his phone.

"The hottie on your phone's wallpaper. A different picture popped up when she called, but it's definitely the same girl."

Pressing the power button, Merlin's home screen came to life and saw the picture of him and Gwen while at the pub the night before for the 'celebratory' drink. He had a stupid grin on his face, still flying high from his placement and Gwen's cheek was pressed up to his while giving her megawatt smile to the camera.

"Oh, it was Gwen."

All of the boys came up and huddled around Merlin's phone to get a better look. Everyone but Arthur.

"She's beautiful, Merlin. You're very lucky." Lance spoke up quietly, still looking at the picture on the screen. Merlin started to laugh to explain to Lance why he probably wasn't lucky in the way he was thinking but was interrupted.

"So, what did she have to say?" Percy asked in a sing-song voice.

"Um, I don't know. She left a voicemail though." Typing in his password, he started to get into his voicemails.

"Uh uh. Hazing isn't officially over. Put that bad boy on speaker," Gwaine stated matter of factly.

"Really?" Merlin couldn't believe they were going to make him do this.

"Really," they all said in unison.

He did what was asked of him and hoped it wouldn't be too embarrassing.

"_Hey honey, it's me. Just checking in about your first day. I mean, I know it's barely even begun, but…oh you know what I mean. I couldn't even wait until the end of your first day. I'm so lame. Anyway, hope it's going well. I can't wait to hear all about it. I'll see you back at home in a few days. Love you!_"

Gwen's rambling always made him smile. Unfortunately for him, he was grinning like an idiot in front of his new coworkers who were sure to give him hell for it. And they did. They were ragging on him and he just laughed it off. Then his eyes fell on Arthur, who wasn't laughing but wasn't quite scowling either. It appeared to be a happy medium of the two, if that was even possible.

He was about to walk over and ask him what was wrong when Elyan came back in from the kitchen. Merlin hadn't even realized that he'd been missing and felt awful.

"Elyan, man. You need to see this girl on Merlin's phone."

"Come on, Gwaine..." Merlin tried to sway him but Elyan just held out his hand to him.

"Better show me, Merlin. He won't let up about it if you don't."

"Fine."

Merlin pressed the power button again to display the wallpaper picture and turned the phone around. Elyan glanced at the photo before practically ripping the phone out of Merlin's hands.

"What the hell?!" Merlin yelped as he felt the slight burn from the friction against his palm.

Arthur moved quickly to Merlin's side not knowing what was going to happen next.

"How do you know her?" Elyan harshly questioned Merlin as he glared at the photo.

"Why do you want to know!?" Merlin was going into defensive mode now, and not just for himself but for Gwen too. Elyan's reaction was borderline crazy.

"Both of you calm down." Trying to play mediator, Arthur stepped in between the two men.

"Her name's Gwen, right?" Elyan never looked up as he spoke.

"How did you know that? You weren't here when I said her name." Merlin's voice had lost some of his volume. He began to feel concerned and honestly a little freaked out.

"How do you know my sister?!" The outburst was sudden as Elyan turned to yell at Merlin. Arthur moved forward to hold Elyan back.

"Your sister?!" The words practically caused Merlin to choke. Elyan couldn't be Gwen's brother. She had never mentioned a brother to him.

"Merlin, you're dating Elyan's sister?" Gwaine asked the blunt question.

"WHAT?!"

* * *

_So…what did you think? The next chapter will be up faster. Keep reviewing please. It gives me incentive._


	4. Chapter 4

_Next chapter, folks! Sorry for the delay again. Anyway, here we go..._

_DISCLAIMER: I don't own MERLIN. ::::pout::::_

* * *

**Previously on Fighting Fire With Fire:**

"_How do you know my sister?!" The outburst was sudden as Elyan turned to yell at Merlin. Arthur moved forward to hold Elyan back._

"_Your sister?!" The words practically caused Merlin to choke. Elyan couldn't be Gwen's brother. She had never mentioned a brother to him. _

"_Merlin, you're dating Elyan's sister?" Gwaine asked the blunt question._

"_WHAT?!" _

* * *

Merlin and Elyan yelled in unison.

Elyan's eyes were about to pop out of his head and you could see the anger seeping from them as they they directed at Merlin. Merlin, on the other hand, was confused as hell at Gwaine's comment. Sure, he hadn't come out and said that he and Gwen weren't a couple, but it should have been obvious to them that it wasn't true.

_Apparently not, Merlin_, he thought to himself.

Before any of them could get their bearings, the alarm bell sounded.

_Shit._

"This isn't over, Emrys!" Elyan scowled at him as he headed off with the rest of the guys.

Merlin felt lost. One of his new co-workers was mad at him for dating his sister, who he really wasn't dating and didn't even know she had a brother. Ugh. To top it all off, he'd been at the station maybe a total of 30 minutes, so he didn't even know the protocols for where to go or what to do yet when the alarm sounded. Sure, he had trained plenty at the academy, but this was the actual job. He needed to know his place.

Arthur was the only one who remained with him. As Merlin looked over to him, he could see that Arthur also had a deer-in-the-headlights look too, but couldn't figure out why nor did he have the time to.

"Arthur!" Merlin shouted, but got no response. "What do I need to do?" Again…nothing.

Arthur just stared at him.

"The alarm? Tell me what to do. Come on, Arthur!" He grabbed the blonde's shoulders and shook him slightly.

That seemed that snap Arthur out of it and looked around. He then grabbed Merlin's shirt and yanked him in the direction of the garage. Merlin pulled away long enough to pull his medic bag out of his duffle and followed Arthur the rest of the way.

"You know how to drive, right?" Arthur asked as he pulled off his shoes and hoped into the fire pants waiting next to the truck.

"Don't be daft. Of course I know how to drive." Merlin was waiting for instructions, not a stupid question.

"Good." Arthur reached over and snagged something off of a hook on the wall. "Here are the keys." He handed over the set to Merlin as he stepped into his fire boots.

Merlin turned around and looked at the red medic truck. Not a long as a traditional ambulance, but its function was the same.

"Pendragon! Let's go!" The Captain yelled out from the Engine to the two men still standing in the garage.

"Alright, Emrys. Follow us!" The younger Pendragon called back to Merlin as he hoped onto the Ladder truck.

Merlin hopped into his vehicle and started the engine. Quickly shifting all of his mirrors, he waited for both the Engine and Ladder trucks to clear the garage doors before shifting his own truck into gear. They weaved through the city, heading to the South Bank area of London. According to the radio that was attached to his dashboard, the report was a kitchen fire. One alarm. Nothing major but they still had to go and check it out. There were also reports of burn victims, so that's where he would come in.

Merlin shifted his focus from the events at the station to his duty and he mentally prepped for anything he might see. The sirens were blaring from all three vehicles as they roared down the streets of the city.

As he pulled up to the row of houses, he saw the other men already springing into action. The Engine was being hooked up to a hydrant just in case. The Ladder was parked, not needed for it's traditional use, but he could see Arthur, Gwaine and Percival hopping out of the truck and grabbing their gear.

Merlin pulled up behind the truck, grabbed his bag and followed the men. He stuck out. He was the only one still in his blues while the other guys ran around in their yellow and blacks. He now felt even smaller than he normally did. His thin frame was dwarfed even more by the muscular men who were wearing the bulky protection of helmets, coats, pants and boots. He was grateful for the physical freedom though. He could only imagine how heavy and hot they all got.

"Emrys," the Captain called attention to him. "Stay back until we fully assess the situation. Once it's clear, you'll follow. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

There were some tense moments between the tenant of the home and the Captain. She didn't want to let them in. She claimed everything was fine and they just needed to leave.

"Ma'am, we still need to clear the area. Make sure everything is functioning properly and that you don't have any exposed wires or other hazards from the fire."

"Look, I just need you all to leave so I can take my son to the hospital," the woman explained without going into further detail.

Merlin's ears perked up. He began to move forward through the rest of the firemen towards the door.

"Ma'am, what's wrong with your son?" he asked, clutching his medical bag tightly.

"He burned his hand while I was trying to get everything shut off in the kitchen. I need to take him to get it looked at," she said matter-of-factly.

"If you let us in, I can take a look him for you. I'll tell you if a trip to the hospital is necessary."

The woman looked at Merlin, down to his bag and back at the other men.

"Fine, but only you." Merlin nodded at her demand and stepped closer to the door.

"But…" Arthur interjected, putting a gloved hand on Merlin's shoulder.

"Only _him_." The woman was clear. No one else was getting into her house.

"That's fine, ma'am," the Captain announced. "You're up, Emrys."

Merlin nodded at Arthur to let him go and he stepped through the door.

The home smelled smoky, but not in a 'burn your house down' kind of way. Instead it was the 'I burnt the toast' kind of smell. There was still a light haze of it in the air as he followed the woman into the kitchen.

Sitting at the kitchen table was a little boy, probably no more than ten, with a cloth around his hand. Merlin went into EMT mode and quickly approached the child.

"Well hi there," he asked, putting his bag down on the flow and kneeling to the child's height while he sat in his chair.

The boy looked at Merlin with bright eyes that were filled with tears he was trying not shed, not saying a word.

"My name is Merlin. What's yours?"

With a quick glance to his mother, who Merlin could see give a slight nod, the boy turned back to Merlin.

"Thomas."

"It's nice to meet you Thomas. I'm a paramedic and you're mom has asked me to take a look at your hand, if you'll let me. Would that be ok?"

The nervous look on Thomas' face was heartbreaking.

"I promise that I will do everything in my power to make it feel better, ok?"

Thomas nodded slightly before slowing reaching out to Merlin with his wrapped hand. Merlin gently took the boy's hand into his and continued to chat to Thomas while he slowly got the cloth off, asking about pain and what he had been doing when he burned himself. Once it was off, he started to pull gauze and ointment out of his bag and addressed the woman.

"Ma'am, I know you mentioned that you didn't want the rest of the firemen in here, but they really just want to make sure you and your son are safe. Would you mind if they came in, just to give it a once over quickly?"

She hesitated slightly but agreed that _one_ of the firemen could come in and check everything out. Merlin thanked her and stood up to get Arthur. He was the first one he thought of and unless the Captain had a problem with it, he would stick to his choice.

He opened the front door to find all of the guys out in the small yard. When he appeared, they all began walking forward. He held up a hand to hold them back.

"Captain? Could Arthur come in and make the rounds? The woman has allowed one member of the team to enter to check on things while I work with the boy."

The Captain nodded to Arthur who gave a quick grin that lasted a split second before he went into his work mode.

As Arthur followed Merlin back into the kitchen, he began eying the place, making sure there were no noticeable red flags. He thanked the woman and began his spot checks as Merlin continued with Thomas.

"So Thomas, where were we, huh?" Merlin asked. He began to apply the burn ointment very lightly to Thomas' hand. The boy winced slightly, but kept quiet, holding back tears. "Oh, yeah, how old are you?"

"Nine." Thomas replied quickly, feeling more comfortable from his conversation with Merlin earlier.

"Nine! No way! I could have sworn you were _way_ older than that. You are such a strong young man, aren't you? You're mom must be proud to have a son like you."

He grinned at Merlin and then his mom while showing that he was missing one of his front teeth, which Merlin found adorable.

"Well young man, you did get a good burn on your hand, didn't you?" Thomas nodded shyly and Merlin continued. "But I promise it's not bad. Your mom will just need to make sure you keep it clean, but I will wrap it up and you will be all set."

"Thank you, Merlin."

"My pleasure, ma'am." He grabbed his bag and pulled her to the side while Thomas was fascinated by his bandaged hand. "If you have any Children's Tylenol or something like that, you might want to give him a dose to help bring his pain level down to a more comfortable level. Just keep an eye on it for the next few days, reapply the ointment and rewrap the gauze to keep it protected." Making sure the woman understood everything, he continued. "If for some reason it gets redder in color or he appears to be in more pain, take him to his pediatrician, but the worst of it will be over in the next two to three days."

He had reached the front door when Thomas ran up and wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist.

"Thank you Mr. Merlin." Thomas' appreciation was palpable and Merlin dropped to his height again.

"You keep protecting your mom, ok, but what do you do if something is hot?"

"Don't touch it."

"That's right and don't you forget it." With a quick pat on his shoulder, he stood back up and saw Arthur coming out of the kitchen. "Arthur, you good to go?"

"Yep. Everything looks good in there. Just be a bit more careful so we don't have to come back."

"Thank you both. Sorry about earlier. We definitely appreciate all you do for the city."

Merlin and Arthur nodded and headed back out to the trucks where the other's had moved to when Arthur entered the home.

Merlin was shifting a few items in the back of the medic truck, getting aquatinted with the setup of the things after they had returned to the firehouse, when he overheard the rest of the men while they were putting away their gear. It wasn't like he was purposely eavesdropping, but when they were talking loud enough, he couldn't avoid it.

"So, can you believe Merlin and Elyan's sister?" Gwaine asked.

"Shut up, Gwaine. He's right around the corner." The quiet voice that joined him was Lance.

"I'm just saying…it's a small world."

"I don't know, man. Do you really think they are dating? Did you see Merlin's face when you asked that question? He didn't know what the hell you were talking about." Merlin smirked at Lance's response. He was a smart one.

"Oh, come on. That picture said it all. I think he was just shocked I called him on it." Gwaine's voice was getting closer and louder.

"Both of you, shut up!"

Merlin looked around to see where the voice came from, but couldn't detect it. It was a cross between a whisper and a hiss.

"Awe, Arthur…you upset because you're new man crush is spoken for?" Merlin could hear the laugher in Gwaine's voice.

_Crush_? _Nah_, Merlin thought to himself.

"Gwaine, drop it." Arthur's voice became like ice.

"Please, you've been all doe-eyed since his arrival. Don't deny it." Gwaine's pushing knew no bounds.

_Doe-eyed….?_

Merlin decided he should stop the eaves dropping. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his earbuds, popped them into his ears and by shutting the door to the back of the truck he made his presence known.

The three men stared at Merlin who just smiled back, trying to keep everything casual…and to not make it look like he'd been listening in not a moment before. Elyan came in from outside and gestured for Merlin to follow him out of the garage. Once they reached the common area, Elyan spoke.

"First, Merlin, I apologize for going all crazy on you this morning. I wasn't expecting to see Gwen's face on your phone. But, I need to know. How do you know my sister?" Elyan's temper had definitely calmed since before the call came in.

"First, explain to me how she's your sister. She's never mentioned a brother to me." Merlin was very curious about Elyan's family claim.

"And not to interrupt you the two of you, but we've known you for years Elyan and you've never mentioned a sister to us either." Arthur's voice appeared out of nowhere. Merlin looked over to see that all of the guys had crept into the room to overhear the conversation. Elyan took a deep breath and continued.

"Our mother and father split up a long time ago. I haven't seen her in person since we were small; just the occasional pictures my mom must have sent my dad to keep him updated. She was a year old and I was five when Mom took Gwen and Dad took me."

"Ok…but I need proof. I'm not going to spill anything about _my_ Gwen without it." Merlin wanted to believe Elyan. Really, he did. But he was protective of his friends, Gwen in particular, so he wanted to be sure.

"Her birthday is August 30 and her last name is Coulby, right?"

Merlin took a step back.

"It's my mother's maiden name." Elyan confirmed.

"Why didn't you try to find her?" Merlin asked, a bit dumfounded by the revelation.

"I've thought about it so many times, but every time I would lose my nerve. I feared the look of rejection in her eyes. I don't know what my mom has said or not said about Dad and I. I couldn't bear it if she were to deny me."

"Listen, let me talk with her." Merlin wanted to help where he could.

"Really?" Elyan's eyes glistened with hope.

"Sure. I can talk with her. See if mentioning you trigger's anything for her. If she's up for it, I'll arrange a meeting. I can't believe she wouldn't want to see you."

"Thank you, Merlin. My sister is lucky to have you in her life." Elyan was extremely sincere, which made Merlin chuckle a little.

"About that, let me clear that up. I love Gwen. Truly, I do. I couldn't imagine my life without her…but we aren't dating. I'm not her boyfriend. We are best friends and roommates and that's it. We met our first year in college and we've remained close ever since."

"But that picture…" Elyan began but Merlin quickly cut him off.

"…was a selfie she took with my phone last night. We were celebrating me getting assigned here. I honestly didn't know she had made it the background on my phone."

"So, just to be clear: you aren't sleeping with my sister?"

"No." Merlin couldn't hold back the laugh. "Never have and never will. We sleep under the same roof, in two separate rooms. That's all."

"So, she's single?" The question from across the room. Apparently Lance couldn't keep quiet anymore.

"Lance!" Elyan scolded.

"I can't believe we are talking about Gwen like this when she isn't here, but yes, she's single at the moment." Merlin clarified. He watched as Lance's face lightened with a smile and he couldn't help but smile with him.

"How many boyfriends has she had?" It was with that question from Gwen's newly discovered brother that Merlin decided to call it quits.

"Elyan, I'm not talking about her dating history with you. You can grill each other about that and everything else once you meet, ok? Leave me out of it!"

Merlin walked away from the others and into the kitchen to get some water leaving them all to bicker amongst themselves. He could still hear the guys (Elyan and Lance in particular with a bit of Gwaine interjecting) as he grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it from the tap. Taking a sip he stared out of the window above the sink.

"So, you and your roommate, not an item." Arthur's voice came up on Merlin's right and Merlin nearly did a spit take with the water he had in his mouth.

"Oh my god!" He had barely managed to swallow the water and let out a series of coughs before addressing Arthur directly. "If you're interested, you better get in line. I think Lance has taken a fancy to her so you'll have to fight him off."

Merlin was cursing himself for ever leaving his phone off of his own body. He would _never_ be doing that again. It was getting ridiculous.

"Ha! No, I'm sure she's great, like you said, but no, I'm not interested." It was a matter-of-fact answer from the blonde.

"Ah." Merlin was going to leave it at that, but kept going to confirm Arthur's earlier statement. "No, we are not an item."

"That's cool." Arthur wanted to keep pushing so after a minute, he did. "No girlfriend then?"

"No girlfriend." A small snort came from Merlin when he answered.

"Why not?"

"Just haven't found the right person, I guess."

"Sometimes I think it's a good thing in this profession." Arthur said, sounding a bit depressed at the thought.

"Why's that?" Merlin questioned.

"The wondering if you are going to make it home, the constant worrying of your loved ones; it can take a toll on a relationship."

"Had experience with that have you?" Merlin wondered.

"Not directly. Growing up my parents were an example of that. My father is obviously dedicated to this life, just as his father was before him. The Pendragon men were a driving force behind me joining up. Its tradition, but I saw what it did to my mother. What it still does in fact now that both her husband and son are on the job. It can be hard." Merlin could understand what Arthur was saying perfectly. His own life mirrored it pretty closely. Unfortunately, Merlin's father didn't come home one night, so it was a reality for himself and his mother.

"And you think it's better to be on your own and not have a support system?" Merlin had to ask. Even though he had dealt directly with losing a family member, he wouldn't have traded his experiences with his father for the world…and neither would his mother. Relationships and family are what help you through the tough times. Merlin was looking forward to the day of having someone to come home to.

"I don't know. Maybe I'm like you and just haven't found the right person yet."

Merlin nodded and their eyes locked. There was a comfortable silence between the two until Arthur broke it again.

"You did a great job this morning," said the blonde, breaking eye contact.

"It was just a burn, Arthur." Merlin couldn't keep the eye rolling at bay. _It could have been worse_, he thought to himself.

"No, I mean with the kid and his mom, keeping them calm and getting her to let me in. You earned her trust. You helped that little boy. You did well." Arthur had turned back to him and clapped him on the shoulder to emphasize his point.

"Thanks." A blush creeped up to Merlin's cheeks.

"Just keep it up. I'd hate to see that it was just beginner's luck." Arthur shoved Merlin's shoulder away from him as he stood up and headed back to the kitchen. He didn't hide the smile on his face as he continued to hear Merlin's laugh behind him.

* * *

_YAY! Another chapter done. The reviews have been great to get. Please keep sending them to me!_


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